The three times August was Punched
by stolenswan
Summary: A quick snippet about what happens after August's actions regarding Neal and Emma are revealed.
1. Chapter 1

Neal walked down the block fuming and utterly confused as he glanced across the street. He spotted August through a library window. He crossed the street with purpose. With Anger. With Emma, Henry and the stolen money on his mind.

Neal threw the library doors open startling Belle as she helped the kindergarten children at story time. August looked up from his conversation to see Neal stalking towards him at a fast paced.

Before he could get a word out August hit the floor fast and hard. The hard punch had blindsided August. Before Neal could utter a word, he was startled by the man August was conversing with leaning down to look at August and say "Dearie it seems I'm not the only to find your mere present distasteful." Neal eyes never left the man. The shock, hurt and anger radiating from him.

Neal's fight or flight instinct kicking in. Not sure which one he would do. As August began to stand, Neal whipped around to look at him. August looked between Gold and Neal then promptly hit the ground again after Neal's second punch. Neal points at August too fuming to get the words out and then storms right back out the door as Mr. Gold checks to see if Belle was ok, not caring for August and oblivious to Neal.


	2. Chapter 2

At Granny's, Red is behind the counter grabbing ice as she listens to August rant.

"He hit me! Twice. A thief hitting me for stealing", August scoffs.

"Here" Red hands him an ice pack for his face.

"August, he didn't hit you over money. He hit you because he left and then you bailed too. The money was to help Emma. He believed you and trusted you to be what you told him you were. Emma's guardian angel. And then there's finding out about Henry. That's got to be killing him."

August winced as the cold ice seeped onto his face.

"I was just a kid. No one trained me for this job. As much as Emma didn't want to be a savior, I did not ask for this. Besides resisting temptation isn't in my nature. In fact it goes against my very nature. They didn't carve me to be a hero. I am not built that way."

Red leaned against the counter top looking at August with compassion as she spoke "We can't blame our nature otherwise I could eat you and –

"Is that your way of flirting because –

"August! Look, you were a little boy at the time. No one blames you. That was too much burden for a kid. But now. Now you are grown. We've all made mistakes. Charming as David, Everybody has things they wish they could change. The what ifs are pointless. It's time to own the mistakes and move forward. Charming, Neal, Emma are owning up to theirs and trying to move forward. Even Regina is working on her's. Regina, the evil queen! You just need to come clean and start fresh."

The corners of August's mouth twitch slightly into a smile. "Red, you make it sound like it is so easy. You sound like you have a crystal ball telling you everything will work out."

Red tells August that he will feel better when he lets go of the past and can work towards his own happy ending.

August quips "I could have gotten one of those in Thailand -

Red's look of compassion turns to annoyance. "August, so help me."

"It's a joke". August puts his hands up in surrender.

August is silent as he stops joking and ponders Red's advice. It would be nice to have the burden of all those cursed years off his shoulders. He no longer has to keep losing himself to forget about the terror of the curse and burden it put on him and on all of them.

"Ok, looks like I should go talk to Emma. I'm sure you'll see me running in horror very shortly".

Red smiles as she quips "Well I like running. Kind of like you and your bike."

"I'd go running with you but I'm definitely more of a bike guy. Running in jeans really gives me a rash. But if I ever turn back into a wooden puppet. I could hitch a ride as you run or you could use me for fetching.

"Wolf not a dog. You are seriously looking to get hit again."

"No, I'm just stalling because I'm definitely getting hit for a third time today." August heads out the door as Red tells him to come by after she'll have ice for him.


	3. Chapter 3

Snow is in her bedroom reading the instructions on the new camera she bought. She's excited to use it. Excited at the thought of having a family photo and creating new memories. Together.

The front door of their apartment slams.

"Emma, is that you?" Snow calls as she comes out of the bedroom.

"It's me. Sorry".

"Everything ok?"

"Where's Henry?" Emma asks as she paces the kitchen.

"He's with Charming at the stables. What happened to your hand?" Snow asks as she goes into protective mom mode.

Emma stops pacing and lets Snow know she is ok. "I punched a cabinet."

Snow asks why and is perplexed when Emma informs her she was aiming for August's face and that it was a long story.

Emma watches as Snow gets the patient look that she always got when they were just best friends instead of mother and daughter. It's comforting and weird all at the same time.

"Well I've got all the time in the world for any of your stories. I want to hear all of them."

Emma wants to avoid an emotional and exhausting conversation. "Mary Margaret, I'm fine really."

"Come sit. I made hot chocolate and want to hear all about it."

As they sipped on hot chocolate, Emma rehashed August coming into the Sheriff's office. He was antsy. He started by apologizing. Letting her know how sorry he was for not completing his task, for being a lousy guardian angel and for his part in breaking her and Neal up.

Emma had perked up at the mention of Neal and was suddenly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. The urge to run away, cry, hit something was overwhelming as she listened to August. He spilled the details of everything: Neal not showing up that evening, leaving her the car and money, everything that went down.

As she took another sip, Emma vented her anger to Snow and joked how quick moving August was for a wooden puppet.

Snow sat and listened attentively. Getting a glimpse into her daughter's life and what has shaped her.

"Well I can certainly understand the urge to hurl something at him. I had that same feeling about his dad after learning the wardrobe fit two. I missed you growing up"

She herself had wanted to throw things, when she learned of Gepatto and Blue Fairy's deal.

"It's ok. You can probably have another child and give them everything. A fresh start."

"I don't want another child. I want you. You are my child."

Emma gives Snow a teary smile. Touched.

"Well we're here now. Maybe it worked out the way it should of. Otherwise you and David would look and have a 30 years age difference. It'd be weirder than it is now."

"That would be weird." Snow laughed. Snow told Emma she can't really fault August for what happened when he was just a boy. She understood that was too much pressure for a boy and even worse a baby. "But he was wrong to do what he did to you eleven years. He should have stuck around and then the four of you come to town. Prepared." Even though the whole town agreed to just move forward. That the past can't be changed. Snow still feels anger and pain at Emma being alone for so much of her life and not knowing how loved she really is. Even now she can't fully believe it and that causes Snow's heart to tighten with anguish.

Snow takes a breath. "It cannot be undone and despite being made from wood. August is human. He was wrong, made mistakes but it's good that he owned up to it. That's what the good guys do."

"You sound like David" Emma quips. She makes a face as Snow tells her Charming does rub off on you.

They sipped on more cocoa in silence.

"Tell me about him" Snow asks.

"I just did."

"No, Neal. Tell me about you and Neal."

Emma looked uncomfortable trying to mutter her way out of it.

Snow pushes. "You don't care about August. The pacing and punching a cabinet was about him. Tell me about him. Let me in."

Emma takes a deep breathing knowing Snow will not let this go.

Emma fidgets with her swan necklace as she tells her best friend, her mom the story of her and Neal.

Snow listened transfixed. . She now had an understanding of Emma's past. She gulped as the guilt over Emma living on the streets then a car and stealing to eat, breaking in to hotels just to shower washed over her. Emma was a princess. She was princess and more than that she was good. She had a life so far from the one she deserved. Snow wanted to wrap her arms around her daughter but it might be too soon for that. Yet Emma was breaking down another one of her walls and letting her in more. Snow's heartache changed to something else as she listened. Snow realized Emma was confiding her love story in her. As Emma's best friend and her mom she knew with instinct and without a shadow of a doubt that Emma's pain and love was still there. She still loves this man. The heartache that was killing her was replaced with joy. Emma was confiding her love story in her the way a daughter does with her mom. Charming's theory that while they missed many first, they'd hear Emma call Snow mom very soon for the first time might not be far off. Snow became giddy and realized she was about to smile and covered it with her cup. Now was not the time.

When Emma had finished the story, Snow gave in to her instinct and hugged Emma for a long time and played with her hair as they parted.

"Well Charming and I can kick his butt for you or we could send the dwarves after him if you like."

Emma snorted.

"But sweetheart, he still loves you and he did those things because he loves you. I said before that it should have been the four of you coming to town, but maybe if it didn't happen this way." Snow shutters at the thought seeing truth in it. "If he hadn't left, you and I might not be sitting together talking like this ever."

Emma lets the potential truth in the thought sink in.

"Emma, the real question is how do you feel?"

"My instinct is not to trust or let anyone in. The truth cannot fix what the past shaped overnight."

"How do you feel?"

Emma stammers and blurts out; "I feel like I did in the when we stood in the nursery you and David had built for me."

"Oh, Emma. You love him!" Snow embraces Emma again.

Emma tears up as she shakes her head at war with herself.

"It's ok. Emma it's ok. You can let down your walls. Trust people. Let the love in. Emma, everything you feel, everything you went through, the people who love have gone through in their own way and that includes him. It sounds like he was alone before you and on the street. He lost you too and waited. He still loves you. It's ok to trust people. You've got back up now. I won't let you get hurt. Take down the walls and take a chance."

Snow leans back and wipes the tears off Emma's face. "I will send the dwarves and granny after him or anyone who hurts you again. And trust me you haven't seen anything until you've seen granny with a crossbow."


	4. Chapter 4

Charming and Henry were talking plans for his next trip to the stables as they headed up to the loft. Charming yelling a "we're home" as they walked through the door.

Snow finished cleaning off the dishes as Charming came around the counter to give her a kiss.

"Welcome back boys. So how was it?"

Henry grinned. "I finally got to ride the horse. Well not actually. Gramps let me sit on the horse."

Snow grinned back as Charming replied "mounting and proper positioning first then we ride."

"I know. Hey where's Emma?" Henry noted she was nowhere in sight.

Snow informed them that Emma went to Granny's to get them take out for dinner and told Henry to go clean up before dinner.

As Henry rushed to wash up, Charming asked "why didn't you call? We could have picked it up on our way back."

"Emma needed to get some fresh air"

Charming waited for further explanation. He looked worried until Snow replied "She's fine. It's just been a rough day." Snow grinned as she finished "Emma told me all about it. I tell you when they are both asleep later".

Over at Granny's

Red was wiping the counter as she heard the door opening. She turned to see August come in.

"I'll get the ice."

"No need."

Red stopped perplexed. "Really?" I thought for sure you would need it. "So did I" August replied. "But it looks like I avoided a third punch. I think that and finally coming clean, I've earned a drink."

Red told him that they would toast to letting go of the past and moving forward. Red walked back into the kitchen to place an order and get the drinks, as August took a seat at the far end of the counter. He did not hear or see Emma enter and place a takeout order from another one of the servers. As she turned to take a seat to wait for her order, Emma noticed August. August gulped. "I'm really going to need that drink."


	5. Chapter 5

Emma was drumming her fingers as she sat at the counter, the other end of the counter. Far away from August, yet she drummed her fingers, and stared nonstop at August. She stared daggers.

"Any day now with that drink." August yelled to the air as he saw Emma get up and head his way.

"I have some questions. Outside" Emma stated. She turned and headed outside with all the authority of a sheriff not doubting August would follow.

Once they were both outside, August apologized again. "I cannot say how sorry I am. But you've got to understand where I was coming from. Coming to this world knowing our homeland is pretty scary. I was a kid too and I'm Pinocchio. Doing stupid things comes with the name. Trust me. I've lived it and seen the Disney movie. It surprisingly is not far off. But I know those things do not change that I was wrong and failed everybody. It was no excuse to leave you and I'll never stop being sorry for it."

Emma took in what he said. She'd process his burden and what he went through later. Emma started her questioning.

"You convinced him to leave"

"Yes"

"How?"

"I already told you."

Emma gave him a pointed look.

"I think for a cynical thief, he believed in magic. Plus I showed him the red ruby slippers."

"The what?"

"Wizard of Oz? The red slippers. Trust me slippers that sparkle and move on their own could convince anyone. Except probably you." You're denial was way too strong."

"Why didn't you show them to me?"

"Back then you won't believe and you'd bolt. When I came here, you're denial was too strong. Plus I gave them to Gold as a please don't kill me peace offering."

Emma moved to the next question. "How easy was it to convince him?"

August felt like crap at the expression on her face and he continued on with the truth no matter how hurt she looked. "Of magic, easily. Of leaving you? That took forever to convince him to leave you. When I asked him to, he said never". Emma's eyes widened at that and she bit her lip. August continued "it took the whole tale and a lot of convincing that this was just your journey alone and that he was going to hold you back and prevent you from being the savior. I think he always thought you were too good for him and that helped convince him too. He certainly didn't think he was worthy of a princess and thought you should have that life."

There was an awkward pause. Emma was trying to wrap her mind around all the details but the hurt and anger were clouding her mind. Emma knew she needed to finish this up quickly and get back.

"Neal left the money?"

"He left all of it for you."

And that was one Emma punched him in the eye hard.

"Damn, you punch hard. Look Emma, I took the money for pure selfish reasons and I was wrong. But you have to admit, if he left you the money. It would have undermined the whole point of him leaving you and you'd never end up here with your family."

"Henry! I had nothing to offer him but a yellow bug for his home. I wasn't his best chance but the money. I might have kept him maybe."

"I am sorry. I did not know about Henry. I was already out of the country."

Emma nodded and asked if that was everything. "Yes. I already told you about the postcard. He knew it would be a long time but still wanted to know when you were free."

Emma looked unsure but was too tired to finish this. She could see the waiter signal her for her order from inside.

"Are we ok?"

"No" Emma headed back inside but turned back and said "not yet anyway. Maybe one day."


End file.
